Toronto FC recalling Daniel Lovitz on Monday has left Wilmington Hammerheads FC with a hole in the midfield.

Lovitz, who settled into his position at left midfielder, played every minute of the Hammers’ first five matches. He was strongest in set pieces but also covered a lot of ground on the attack. Hammerheads coach David Irving has a few options when it comes to replacing one of his best players in the early season.

Sunny Jane (Mike Spencer/StarNews)

Sunny Jane

Jane is a 22-year-old midfielder fresh off playing four years at the University of Maryland. He missed the first two matches of the year as he waited for international clearance. He played the final 30 minutes of a 2-0 loss to Charlotte on April 26 and started while playing 56 minutes of a scoreless May 3 draw against Rochester.

Jane is fast and a gifted dribbler. He’s a creative player who single-handedly created three chances against Charlotte, a match in which no other Wilmington player stood out to Irving. He is a bit impatient at times and occasionally dribbles into a crowd, but he has the potential to be an exciting player. His skill set overlapped some with Lovitz, which could have made it tough for him to find minutes going forward.

If Irving wants to keep a similar shape to the lineup he’s been starting for the past few weeks, Jane is the most logical fit to step into the starting lineup.

Manu Aparicio

Manu Aparicio (Jason A. Frizzelle)

The 18-year-old on loan from Toronto FC has been another strong addition from the Hammers’ MLS parent club. He technically plays forward

with Sammy Ochoa but lines up farther back in the field and canvasses much of the pitch. In a way he almost acts as another midfielder.

Irving likes the idea of a fifth midfielder who can push forward on the attack with Ochoa. That’s worked at times, but there have also been occasions when Ochoa was left alone up top with nobody else was pushing forward.

Irving could shift around the midfield and have either Paul Nicholson or Tom Parratt play on the left side and move Aparicio to center midfielder. If he did that, the Hammers’ coach would have a couple of options for who to pair with Ochoa.

It’s the less likely scenario, but there’s enough time remaining in the season to be able to make a dramatic alignment shift and be able to adjust.

Cody Arnoux/Jordan Hamilton/Mickael Oliveira

If Irving elects to move Aparicio back in the midfield, one of those three would likely move into the starting lineup. (Brian Ackley could be added to this list when he returns from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him since the beginning of the month).

Arnoux is a veteran and stabilizes the attack whenever he’s on the field. He tends to play farther up the field than Ochoa, and the Hammers created some of their best chances all season in the Rochester game when Arnoux started in place of Aparicio.

Hamilton has not shown much in limited time since arriving two weeks ago from Toronto FC. He played 30 minutes in his May 3 debut — which came after only two days of training — and looked timid at times. He had the ball taken away from him twice and was hesitant to shoot in the game’s final seconds.

Still, the 18-year-old striker came to the Hammers after scoring a goal for Canada in the U17 World Cup last fall and has a reputation as a good scorer.

Oliveira, who scored three goals in eight appearances last season, has played only 35 minutes in USL Pro games but started the Hammers’ U.S. Open Cup loss Wednesday and scored a goal before being ejected for a red card in the 89th minute.

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About This Blog

I am Vince Nairn, coming to the StarNews after spending the first 24 years of my life in Ohio. I interned at the StarNews in 2010 and enjoyed a summer covering rugby, surfing, triathlons: The whole package. I grew up a few miles west of Cleveland and graduated from Ohio University (the Bobcats, not the Buckeyes) in 2011. I am here to be your point man for all the community sports in the Wilmington area. Email me at Vince.Nairn@starnewsonline.com.

Tom Grady has been the StarNews Hammerheads beat writer since the 2002 USL season. He’s followed the Second Division club through two appearances in the national championship game and the 2003 title.

Kick your way back here often for updates on Wilmington’s professional soccer team.